This article deals with the terms- tradition, culture and civilization vis-à-vis language and its dialectal variations in the postmodernist context, in the backdrop of the recent surge in the enormously long-standing demand for the demerger of the Telangana state from the ‘unified Andhra Pradesh state’ which was formed on November 01, 1956, purely on the basis of linguistic reorganization of the states of our country, and on certain conditions in order to safeguard the interests of the Telangana people. But the irony is, the language has been used as a tool to systematically demoralize, demean and perpetually weaken the people of Telangana. The writer talks about the importance of carving out the state of Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital, from the dubious and farcical unified Andhra Pradesh state based on historical, linguistic, social, cultural, political and economic reasons, and eventually hopes for brotherhood and camaraderie to prevail upon the people of the three distinct regions of the Telugu speaking state, with proper understanding and appreciation of the democratic rights and aspirations of the people of Telangana. Finally the writer concludes his article by stressing the paramount importance of saving the noble democracy of India by preserving the diversity which is the sine qua non of its unity.

On tradition, culture and civilization

India, the great kaleidoscopic delight.

There are some interesting facts worth discussing and debating about the terms like tradition, culture and civilization, and also there is a strong need to revisit and redefine these concepts in the post-modern and globalised trans-cultural scenario, though most of the proponents of Indian tradition and culture baulk at this very proposition. Now it’s time to recognize the fact that tradition, culture and civilization are no one’s monopoly, and everybody has a stake and a strong contribution in enriching them, especially in the Indian socio-cultural milieu, wherein all these are embedded into one, to form a beautiful mosaic, that gives an aesthetic kaleidoscopic delight to a viewer who views it with some objectivity and humanism in his/her heart and mind.

The true tradition and culture are the ones which let everyone grow with dignity and let them have and preserve their own distinctive identities and uniqueness. But they should never be a means of usurpation, hegemony, subjugation and subsequent exploitation. There had/have been scores of instances in the world history, of one civilization dominating the other on the false pretext of traditional and cultural supremacy, which was/is the root cause of the subsequent exploitation, damage and destruction of scores of pure native traditions and cultures, thereby paralyzing or hampering or ceasing the healthy growth of their civilizations.

Exploitation on the name of traditional and cultural supremacy

It’s purely in the guise of reforming and refining other cultures and civilizations that some vested interests, calling it their burden or bounden duty, have donned the mantle and been hell bent on it, in spite of stiff resistance from the natives. This is exactly the starting point of the ensuing exploitation, and plundering of all the resources, thereby making the less powerful, and innocent & gullible people socially, culturally and economically weak and dependant. Linked to this is the major and catastrophic aftermath effect of perpetual political powerlessness and dependence, and the subsequent monopoly, hegemony and subjugation.

Now, the time has, as never before, come to revisit and redefine all these abstract yet powerful concepts, and concretize them to give a distinct identity, substantial shape and uniqueness to every society. The time has come for all those who had/have been neglected and disregarded for ages, and discouraged from asserting their own distinct and unique identities, and now, there should be no more monopoly and hegemony, subjugation or suppression of any society on the lines of tradition, culture, civilization, and language, and also connected to these, and as a consequence of these, social, economic and political imperialism.

The Post-modern perspective

Due to the impact of the egalitarian and liberal education and opportunities, post-modern ideals, globalization, strong media, both print and electronic, and the ubiquitous social networking/sharing sites likeFacebook,Twitter, Youtube, Wikipedia, thanks to the phenomenal leap in the effective handling and usage of information and communication technology, and its various user friendly interface mechanisms, the people who have so far been limited to the fringes have started coming to the centre stage and are shaking the very foundations of it to its bottom, and asserting their own unique identities, rights and rightful places in the vast socio-cultural firmament of the world in general, and of India in particular. Now everyone who had been neglected and disregarded for several ages by the successive ruling classes characterized & influenced by, and consisting of neo-feudalists, neo-colonialists and capitalists, have started to question the monopoly and hegemony of those sections of society who are minuscule in number, but are highly powerful & influential, and headstrong & cold-hearted.

The Telangana connection

K. Chandra Shekhar Rao, popularly known as KCR, the maverick political leader of Telangana who gave a political shape to its liberation movement which had been brutally suppressed by the imperial and fascist Andhra rulers by falsely labeling it anti-national and anti-social. KCR is known for his fiery speeches in typical Telangana dialect of Telugu language interspersed with humour and satire in his own peculiar style which strike an emotional chord with the Telangana people. He is the man who was mainly responsible for bringing all the pro-Telangana forces together and for bringing the Telangana issue to the centre-stage of Indian politics.

This is exactly what has been going on for several decades in the Telangana region of India. The people of Telangana have started reasoning and questioning

Father of Telangana and the beacon light of its movement and the great ideologue, Late Prof. K. Jaya Shankar, fondly called “Jayashankar sir” by all the Telanganaites. He was an acclaimed economist, social scientist, political philosopher, and an orator / public speaker par excellence. He was an avowed bachelor and dedicated his entire life for securing justice to the people of Telangana.

the age old subjugation and exploitation of the Andhra and Rayalaseema ruling classes, and are fighting for their self-rule and self-respect by asserting their own distinctive identity, which is totally unpalatable to the insensitive hegemonic and exploitative ruling classes who exist and work hand in glove with the crony capitalists. The separate Telangana movement, and the struggle for liberation from the exploitative Andhra rulers is purely based on asserting its own identity,

Offshore mission Telangana, an ambitious mission of reclaiming its historical and cultural past, long neglected and perverted under the fascist Andhra rulers.

reclaiming its own historical and cultural heritage,

The demand for a separate state of Telangana is not just political and economic, it’s also based on strong historical, social, cultural and linguistic reasons.

and securing political independence, and economic prosperity by way of self-sufficiency.

The Linguistic Monopoly and language equations

The fundamental thing and the first step in overthrowing this hegemony and subjugation lies in resisting the linguistic and cultural onslaught,and striving for the assertion of one’s own distinct linguistic, and cultural identities, as both these things are closely, and intricately and subtly woven together, and which give a special identity to any society. An interesting and striking thing about domination is that which starts from linguistic monopoly.

Our slang and our culture, our identity!

The self-proclaimed and self-styled custodians of language and culture in the unified state of Andhra Pradesh call the Andhra Telugu dialect as the supreme dialect, the Rayalaseema Telugu dialect as the lesser one, and the Telangana Telugu dialect as the least and derisive one. These kinds of language equations allow them to have the subsequent cultural hegemony and subjugation. If one speaks in pure and unadulterated Telangana slang out of sheer love towards his/her linguistic and cultural nativity and identity, he/she is labeled as less cultured, coarse and uncivilized; and when one speaks in typical aggressive Telangana tone and tenor, borne out of heartburn unable to withstand and digest the excessive subjugation and exploitation happening before his/her very eyes, he/she is branded as pervert, anti-social, anti-national, secessionist, subversive and in some extreme cases, involving chauvinism, bias, bigotry and prejudice, and the subsequent repression, as extremists or militants, and they are constantly hounded & persecuted,

harassed & tortured, and even eliminated from the scene, or forced to take their own precious lives. It’s almost like label the dog stray & mad, and kill it, if you don’t like it. In a striking contrast to all this, the person who speaks Andhra Telugu dialect is skillfully and schematically regarded as highly cultured, civilized, nationalist, integrationist etc., which automatically allows him to gain an upper hand over others who do not speak Andhra Telugu dialect.

There has been a misinformation campaign spread by the mainstream media, scores of news papers and TV channels, the cancerous offshoots of Andhra ruling classes and the crony capitalists, that everything that is associated with Andhra as nationalistic and progressive, and all that is associated with Telangana as anti-national and subversive. It’s almost akin to the British calling everything that was Indian as superstitious, subversive, enigmatic & dark, and everything that was English as logical & scientific, forward looking, clear & bright during the colonial encounter. This was because of their sheer ignorance, arrogance, snobbishness and the lack of understanding and concern for the other. But one thing is clear, the colonizers in Telangana are doing more harm to its people than the British as a whole, did to India, as there are scores of evidences to show that the Indians have been benefited in some respects during and after the British encounter.

Let’s all strive to root out all the false differences and equations

There is a strong need to separate, deregulate and emancipate Pappucharu from Sambar, and Pachchi pulusu from Rasam, and let them retain their own separate flavours/tastes, and let all these grow as separate, distinct and unique entities. Let sambar and rasam not regulate and usurp the tastes of pappucharu and pacchipulusu, and thereby put their distinct flavours in jeopardy. It’s high time every one recognized the authentic, and genuine fact and reality, that in the postmodernist context, the centre(s) is/are not necessarily in the centre, but in fact, it’s/they’re rather everywhere and the circumference nowhere. Let’s all also recognize, understand and appreciate the simple fact that each and every tradition, culture and civilization has its ownpride of place in the larger cultural firmament, and ethos of India. We must let all these survive and grow in peaceful coexistence, and in an environment of mutual respect & enrichment, there not being any sort of competition, equations or conundrums among these.

They (i.e. the exploitative sections from the Andhra region) see a lack of culture and refinement in the Telangana slang and dialect, its food habits and life styles, but the people of Telangana see clearly and vividly a lot of love and affection in all of them. Their policy is ‘live happily, and let others not live with dignity & happiness’, whereas, the policy of Telangana people is ‘live, and let others live with dignity & happiness’. They believe in usurping and the people of Telangana believe in sharing and enjoying the fruits together without any kind of discrimination or division.

Batukamma, a festival of seasonal flowers of myriad hues, an age old tradition of Telangana, of thanks giving to the Goddess Durga celebrated by women with much pomp and gaiety. This festival is characterized by love, affection and camaraderie barring any class and caste equations, a perfect example of unity through time tested cultures.

Dear friends, let’s all strive to root out and obliterate all these dubious, farcical and false equations and definitions based on language and culture completely from our mindsets and social psyche, and let’s all preserve and promote our own unique distinctive identities.

The Telangana demand is highly democratic and constitutional

“Without social union, political unity is difficult to be achieved. If achieved, it would be as precarious as a summer sapling, liable to be uprooted by the gust of wind. With mere political unity, India may not be a state. But to be a state is not to be a nation and a state which is not a nation has small prospects of survival in the struggle of existence…”– Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

The demerger (note, not separation) is an enormously long-pending and overdue aspiration and demand of nearly forty million people of the region, and it is highly democratic, constitutional, genuine and appreciable. Moreover, it’s scientifically and practically proven all over the world that smaller states/counties with a certain number of population as decided/fixed from time to time by ideal policy makers, administrative thinkers and legal luminaries, and with some amounts of different kinds of resources for their self-sufficiency, are highly viable in administrative and legal points of view as there is better governance, effective supervision and monitoring, and management of all kinds of resources and their distribution on equitable basis, more transparency, proper law-enforcement, and above all, more devolution of powers, and speedier implementation of various welfare schemes which ultimately pave the way for the rapid growth in all the fronts of the states, which in turn augurs well for the healthy functioning of the great & noble democracy of India, the fact which was recognized and proclaimed by none other than the chief architect of our constitution, Baba Saheb Ambedkar quite a long time ago.

So, all the intellectuals and sensible people who still have unflinching faith in the Indian Democracy, the Rule of Law, and the Law of the Land, cutting across all the three regions- Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana, have to put aside all their baseless, unnecessary, unreasonable and unrealistic apprehensions, doubts and mistrust, and try to save democracy in the Telangana region from the clutches of certain neo-feudal, neo-colonial, capitalistic, and rogue elements with vested interests, and allow the Telangana people to have their self-rule, self-sufficiency and self-respect which is their democratic and legitimate right, and which is quite long overdue. There should be no room for senseless politicking and emotional blackmailing over this. Let the hatchet be buried, and let the pestilence be stamped out once and for all.

The Telangana demand has genuine historical and political reasons

The beautiful cosmopolitan city of Hyderabad which is the heart of Telangana has / had always been a cynosure of all bad eyes- of imperialists, of neo-colonialists, of fascist rulers and of crony capitalists.

An excellent illustration of how the people of Telangana have been betrayed and exploited by the imperial and fascist Andhra rulers, which started soon after the forced merger of the Telangana state with the then Andhra state.

We all know India got independence on August 15, 1947 from the British rulers. But the people of Telangana had to breathe their first free air only on September 17, 1948, more than a year after India got its independence. Telangana state got liberated only on that day from the oppressive and tyrannical Nizam rulers. It was the result of the cumulative effect of so many selfless sacrifices (scores of precious lives!) of the people of Telangana through long arduous armed struggles, and that freedom, to their total shock and dismay, was very much short lived and could not be sustained, as some rogue elements- wolves in sheep’s clothing, calling themselves good Samaritans; and some corporate sharks, professing progress and development,had cleverly and skillfully snatched that away from them by clubbing the unassuming and fledgling state of Telangana with the then newly formed state of Andhra Pradesh, on November 01, 1956, and started gradually plundering their revenue, jobs, land, water and other resources by taking advantage of the innocence, ignorance, generosity and the gullible nature of the Telangana people. They were constantly made totally weak and powerless, and made to perpetually depend on the Andhra ruling classes. This has been willfully going on for nearly six decades with the active support of the crony capitalists who always work hand in glove with the exploitative ruling classes, and the mainstream media, both print and electronic, which are always under their active control, have been quite blatantly resorting to yellow journalism by playing second fiddle to their farcical whims and fancies, and fanning out their self-interests and ideologies, smacked of imperial expansion and further exploitation. They have been doing this with apparent impunity.

Thousands of jobs which must legally belong to the Telanganaites were snatched away by the Andhraites through backdoors, illegally and dishonestly facilitated by the Andhra ruling classes in the unified Andhra Pradesh state.

Discrimination of a colossal scale in water sharing between Andhra and Telangana regions. Telangana has been constantly and willfully neglected and discriminated against by the fascist Andhra rulers with much impunity.

All the conditions agreed upon at the time of the forced merger of the Telangana state (a part of the then independent state of Hyderabad) with the state of Andhra Pradesh to safeguard the interests of the people of Telangana, have blatantly been flouted and breached on quite a regular basis in a systematic way from the day one, to further the causes of the vested interests from the Andhra region, in total disregard to the interests of the unassuming people of Telangana. The fledgling state of Telangana which was highly surplus in its revenue and with huge wealth left by the Nizam rulers at that time, was cleverly and skillfully clubbed with the then state of Andhra Pradesh which was struggling with its crippling economy with huge budget deficit, very much against the wishes and interests of the people of Telangana, and later on, they were constantly deceived, betrayed, and made socially, culturally, educationally, politically, and more importantly, economically weak and powerless in a phased manner under the fascist rule of the Seemandhra ruling classes. Telangana has been ruled by various rulers for hundreds of years, and is still ruled by others. The people of Telangana had/have been deceived, betrayed and exploited by several monsters in varied forms, and still there is no respite for them from the new monsters, albeit in fine and highly refined forms, and with sweeter tongues.

Charminar in Hyderabad is an historical monument built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591 A.D.

The College of Arts & Social Sciences of Osmania University is a beautiful heritage monument and the pride of Hyderabad. Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan laid the foundation stone for the Arts College building on the 5th July 1934, and it was declared open on 4th Dec 1939. (http://www.osmania.ac.in/ArtsCollege/history_overview.htm)

The High Court stands on the south bank of the River Musi. This is one of the finest buildings in the city, built in red and white stones in Saracenic style, by Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan the ruler of the princely state of Hyderabad.The Plan of the High Court was drawn up by Shankar Lal of Jaipur and the local engineer who executed the design was Mehar Ali Fazil. The construction started on 15 April 1915 and was completed on 31 March 1919. On 20 April 1920 the High Court building was inaugurated by Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan.

The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly Building, located in Hyderabad city, is the seat of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature.It was built in 1913, the building was originally the Hyderabad Town hall. The Citizens of Princely state of Hyderabad raised money to build it to mark the 40th birthday of Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan in 1905. This white gem of Hyderabad’s architectural splendor was designed by specially commissioned architects. It adjoins the picturesque public gardens.

It’s high time on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of India’s Independence, to reflect on what had been done to the people of Telangana, and what had been taken away from them, in spite of their strong opposition under the fascist Andhra rulers and the neo-colonialists, and the crony capitalists. The time is now ripe to let Telangana people reclaim their own identity and self-respect, which is only possible with the demerger of the Telangana state from the oppressive and exploitative Andhra Pradesh. The people of Telangana have nothing to do with the imperialistic and exploitative Andhra rulers, and they have every democratic and constitutional right to be liberated from the clutches of the farcical & dubious Unitedness. Nothing short of Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital is acceptable to the people of Telangana at the present crucial juncture, the culmination of another long arduous struggle for liberation. Hyderabad city is a part and parcel of the Telangana state, and has its own contribution and pride of place in the historical and cultural heritage of Telangana for several ages, much before the forced merger of the Telangana state with Andhra Pradesh on November 01, 1956. The new state of Telangana without Hyderabad as its capital is unthinkable and unimaginable, and any true historian who knows the history of Telangana, and any sociologist or economist who deeply studied the various social and economic conditions (The both of them are invariably linked with each other.) in the region, from the time of the forced merger to the date, unequivocally agrees with this, and all the geographical and demographical factors related to the strategic position of the city of Hyderabad in the state of Telangana, strongly vindicate this statement.

To the political classes

Incredible India!

India, “a striking unity in mind-boggling diversity”, a big puzzle for an outsider!

India, “the paint of unity with a thousand and one colours”, beauty drawn in a magnificent way!

The various political classes, and their rank and file from the unified Andhra Pradesh state have to understand this, and try to concede to the age old aspirations of the Telangana people- reclaiming and assertion of their own identity and self-respect, which can only be possible through self-rule. And also, our larger political spectrum across the vast Indian sub-continent in general, and from the three regions- Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana in particular, should understand and appreciate with some benevolence and open-heartedness, the basic nuances of Indian tradition and cultural heritage for which India is famous all over the world, and also for its divergence & diversity which gives a great, beautifully unified mosaic panoramic view to any outsider who views it. However, any sensible insider can see the much palpable cracks developing from within, which, if not patched up with timely sensible intervention, will turn into wider & deeper chasms, and bring about disastrous and catastrophic consequences in the not so distant future, and will threaten the basic unity and the strong fabric of our nation which had been so delicately and exquisitely knit by our forefathers, freedom fighters, and the national leaders during the formative years of our nation building. So, it’s imperative for all of us to preserve and nurture our diversity, without any room for any sort of prejudice or friction among all of us in order to be much more united.

Let’s hope better sense prevails over our sensible political classes from the Seemandhra region, and thereby, they get enlightened about the strong need to fulfill the age old aspirations of the Telangana people, unlike their counterparts in yesteryears who played with the lives and sentiments of the people of Telangana with much hatred, bias, derision, heavy-handedness, excessive brutality and repression. Now the time is ripe and right for the present ruling class, to act instantly and realistically with some maturity, and have a special page of appreciation allocated to them in the future Telangana history books or a few derisive lines with much contempt! Now it’s time for them to decide and act sensibly.

To the people at large

The ire and war of the people of Telangana is only against the Seemandhra ruling classes, and the neo-colonialists, neo-feudalists, capitalists, the oppressors, exploiters, and the traitors of Telangana, both inside and outside, and certainly not against the pro-Telangana Seemandhra people who are their esteemed brethren, and they will continue to have the same love and affection, and there is always a special, warm and secure place for them in their bosom.

It’s requested everyone to be realistic & pragmatic, and sensible & broad minded in recognizing, accepting and appreciating the democratic wish & demand of the Telangana people. It should be noted at this juncture that the people of Telangana region want only political & administrative division, and not emotional. It’ll be lovely to have two strong and modern Telugu speaking states- one, highly cosmopolitan, liberal, multi-lingual and multi-cultural; and the other, highly traditional and cultural; and also two wonderful, vibrant and prosperous capital cities including Hyderabad with scope for employment opportunities on a massive scale, in addition to Bangalore, Chennai and Thiruvanathapuram in Southern India.

Finally, it is very much important for all of us to understand and appreciate the importance of preserving the divergence & diversity, and the pluralistic ethos of India which is the sine qua non of its unity. Let’s all be Diversified & United and make our country a more wonderful & beautiful place in the World.

Jai Telangana!

Jai Bharat!

Satyamev jayate!!

(Thanks to Dr. A.V. Koshy for his valuable inputs. Thanks are also due to several of my friends who insisted on sharing this article in wider circles in order to spread the genuine message of Telangana. Special thanks to WordPress.com for giving a bigger platform for the Voice of Telangana in its most pressing times.)

Independence is a free and positive state of mind animated by strong and healthy social, cultural, political and economic factors that surround it. There’s still a higher and noble Independent state of mind which is when we all are free from the excessive physical attachments and desires, selfishness and self-interests, and selflessly work for our nation and its building in its truest sense!
Happy Independence Day wishes to all those who have a reason to celebrate it!
Special day to remember all our martyrs who laid down their precious lives in order to give us a reason to live and to struggle with renewed vigor!
Hope this overwhelmingly graceful day inspires us to get more and more new vistas of meaning for the word ‘Independence’, and to take all along in our long march towards glory!!

Any serious discourse on an important subject which has a bearing on society, and tries to reflect it, must have two sides, both bright and dark, just like the two sides of a coin. Many from the educated class always prefer to stay in their comfort zones, and intentionally, out of fear of persecution or whatever reason, allow only one of the two sides generally the brighter side, get even more light, and the other side is never allowed to be exposed to the broad bright light of the day, and is always doomed to be hidden and made obscure on purpose. The present article, in a reflective tone in first person singular, is an honest manifestation of the heartfelt experiences and feelings of the writer from his childhood through the adulthood. The writer tries to take stock of the situation in 66 years of post-independent India from the other side, i.e. other than the so called mainstream (or maiMstream?!), which has rarely been attempted at or brought to limelight by many of the so called intelligentsia. Here, a genuine attempt is made to bring to light the dismal feelings of those disenchanted and sulky Indians for whom,

Independence Day means nothing, and independence has never been felt by them in its true sense. The writer has chosen this unusual topic since there is no dearth of literature available at present, which trumpet scores of milestones and success stories in the course of a very long journey of post-independent India. The writer hopes, this article makes for interesting reading, and spurs some of us on to the importance of realizing the most essential need to pay attention to many dark spots that got accumulated in the course of the long historical march of post-independent India, and the need to understand the gravity of the current grim situation by listening sympathetically to the voices/shrieks of those who were/are never properly cared for by the so called mainstream society. The intention of the writer is to drive home the most urgent need to set certain things right by striking a proper balance between the two sides with diabolically huge gaps, in our collective march as a nation, towards glory. The timing of the present article is very much apt and relevant as India is celebrating its 67th Independence Day on August 15, 2013. It is an earnest attempt to shake and move some of us who are otherwise happy and contended with our cozy status quo, to the stark and bitter reality of post-independent India. The writer sincerely hopes his heartfelt feelings reach the deeper conscience of those who matter most for our all-inclusive nation building.

The significance of the day August 15, to me as a child-

The day August 15, always used to be very close to my heart throughout my childhood. This day always brought to me utmost happiness, joy and freedom, freedom from my rigid school masters, freedom from the narrow confines of the four walls (at least for one day!), the four walls which we still call the classroom: temple of learning; what a euphemism!

This day always conjured up various pleasant images in my mind- beautiful decorations of myriad hues, large banners and posters, and the mighty and magnificent tricolor, our flag, which was a rich source of inspiration and strength for our freedom fighters during our long arduous struggle for freedom, and for our national leaders during the formative years of our nation building. It was also a big source of comfort and consolation for all those who were let down and frantically hoping for better days to come. When it was unfurled on every Independence Day, it always gave me the sense of comfort and assuredness that all is well, and I used to feel it amid the slogans of Vandemataram, Mera Bharat Mahan, and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, coupled with the high decibel soul stirring patriotic songs.

How beautiful those days were, especially the day Pandrah August we used to call thus lovingly when I used to get up quite early in the morning, take a ‘head bath’, and dress myself up more eagerly and enthusiastically than on any other day, in a fresh attire, washed and pressed the previous night by my innocent mother who used to see in me clad in that vibrant white attire another Nehru or the neta of that ilk in the making, and I was much eager to go to my school (the only place I detested throughout my childhood except on this day!) and meet my friends, and used to enjoy and relish the sweetmeats distributed to us after the customary flag hoisting ceremony and singing the national anthem Janaganamana (though I did not understand the lyrics much, and regretfully, our teachers never bothered about explaining its content to us and make us understand and feel the import of it!) in chorus.

Songs of innocence and sweetness-

Thus, I was on cloud nine and singing the songs of innocence, much to the envy of some of (rather I should say, ‘many of’, the fact which I didn’t realize at that time!) the underprivileged and unprivileged kids of my age around me in those times.

The truth is always harsh and bitter-

As I started growing up, the stark and bitter reality of my surroundings, and the country as a whole, gradually started to unfold itself before my eyes, the very eyes which were accustomed to be treated with the magnificence and the splendor of only that around me in all their pleasant colors. The same slogans which used to highly elevate my spirits started sounding as an unintelligible and uneasy cacophony to my ears amid the din of the heartrending cries of the starving kids, screams of abused (in various ways) street children and the innocent and helpless girls and women being molested,tortured, raped, and brutally murdered by their brothers (I say this since I used to take the pledge and believed in- India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters…, every day without fail in my childhood, and with much enthusiasm!) with apparent impunity, and the sobs of the female kids being stifled from breathing their first, and desperate to see the first light of their lives, and the shrieks of the downtrodden and the marginalized who are craving for a small piece of a political and democratic space of their own guaranteed by our noble and mighty constitution with much fanfare, and much more than these, the moans of those who are traumatized and terrorized by the unbridled terrorism born out of sheer fanaticism of various kinds, mainly religious, from both inside and outside.

Songs of experience, a bitter reality-

As I gradually started experiencing the things all around, I realized the hypocrisy and falsity of the contemporary political leaders and their huge followers in their slogan shouting hailing mother India. My brain and mind started to be flooded with so much indigestible stuff depicting the actuality of India, as I began to read some reputed newspapers with some social responsibility and watch some TV news channels with some accountability towards our society.

And now, I started singing the the songs of experience and the day Pandrah August which had been so dear to me is no longer dear, and it has started bringing the uneasy feelings of irritation and palpitations in my mind and heart, since what I used to believe which is that we were independent, and all my feelings of all is well were nothing but just a make believe! I started realizing that the day August 15, which we call it our independence day, the day when we were freed from the British tyranny doesn’t make complete sense to me now since independence and freedom are still NOT within the reach of the common man of India. The only difference before and after August 15, 1947 being that the pill was not sugar coated then, and it’s thickly coated with sugar and honey now, much akin to old wine in a new fascinating bottle!

We are still under the same system left behind by the British Raj, which has never properly been appropriated or made to suit the current circumstances and conditions. It’s been abused and misused to further the causes of certain vested interests. Men at the helm of affairs have had changed, but not the system and its loopholes, and the same exploitation, tyranny and lawlessness prevails even today! It’ll clearly be known to us, if we dare to come out of the make believe which we find ourselves in and thinking all is well.

I think it’s high time on the occasion of India’s 67th anniversary of its independence from the British rulers, to reflect and introspect whether we really got independence and whether we all are totally free from the evils of neo-colonialism and fascism, neo-feudalism, hegemony and imperialism in various forms, dreadful capitalism, graft and corruption, criminalization of our political system, official apathy and lethargy, misgovernance and mismanagement, red-tapism and nepotism, police excesses, and judicial inactivism and inordinate delay, and also take stock of the situation whether we all are sharing and enjoying the fruits of our independence together even after a whopping 66 years!

It’s not my intention to paint a totally bleak picture of post-independent India and discourage all-

My intention is not to discourage and dishearten you all by painting a bleak picture of post-Independent India. It’s rather a realistic picture of India from the other side which may not go down well with us because we are always obsessed with the global, but the truth is, we have almost lost connection with the local. Global shouldn’t be at the cost of local, and we must use our global perspective in order to enrich the local. It’s only in our country where the multinational drinks like Coco Cola, Pepsi, Thums Up, Sprite,etc., flow abundantly when there is acute shortage of potable water, and water has turned into a costly commodity, and a rich source of highly profitable business. And about scientific & technological progress- yes, we made much progress and we flaunt it internationally but we can’t talk about our scientific & technological progress before our starving & destitute kids, emaciated rural poor and urban slum dwellers. They never catch our attention because they are never global and they never think globally! What we have achieved in more than six decades of post-independent period is abysmally low and it’ll clearly be seen if we dare to come out of the make believe which we (forcefully, or otherwise) find ourselves in and thinking all is well. Contentment, I regret to say, is the curse for us Indians, and the boon for the greedy & corrupt politicians and the crony capitalists.

Finally, I would like to ask you two small questions, but which require big and meaningful answers-

Can we Indians (barring a few who got immensely benefited after the independence) make some time on the occasion of India’s 67th Tryst with its Destiny, to reflect on those Indians who don’t really understand the significance the Day, and never felt/feel it in their hearts?

Are we really paying the befitting homage to those sung and unsung heroes who had sacrificed their prime youth, all their enjoyments, and even their precious lives for freeing us from the tyrannical rule, and for getting all of us cozy and comfortable lives?

Please read these famous lines once again and reflect on them just a while-

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held highWhere knowledge is freeWhere the world has not been broken up into fragmentsBy narrow domestic wallsWhere words come out from the depth of truthWhere tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfectionWhere the clear stream of reason has not lost its wayInto the dreary desert sand of dead habitWhere the mind is led forward by theeInto ever-widening thought and actionInto that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Are we all still ready to enter that heaven of freedom as envisaged by Tagore?!